Friedrich Christian Banthien

Born in Rheydt, Rheinland. In August 1914 he volunteered in the Tsingtau militia as an artillerist in the 5th Company. Captured as prisoner of war in November 1914 and detained in Japan in the Osaka, Tokushima and Bando camps. Registered as prisoner No. 4133. Upon his release in December 1919, he was offered the option of being employed by the Yaido firm in Osaka or migrate to the Netherlands East Indies. In 1922 he is registered as employee with Telephone Office in Weltevreden near Padang (Sumatra). 1925: registered as mechanic in Muara Aman, South Sumatra. In 1935 he moves to Ledong Tandai in th Bengkulu District. In 1940 he is employed as scaffold builder in Sumatra. He marries Amelie Precker (Precher?) in (19?). In May 1940, Friedrich was interned by the Dutch authorities. He left Sibolga on board of the Van Imhoff on 17 January 1942 and survived the disaster the next day. No details on his subsequent stay in Nias.

After the reunion with his wife, during or after the war, he stayed on in Indonesia. He became company manager in 1956 in Jakarta and lived in a bungalow in the garden of Jalan Surabaya nr 31. He returned to his place of birth (Rheydt) in 1962 with his wife where he died on 20 January 1963.